The evacuation of British, French and Belgian soldiers from Dunkirk (in Northern
France) in 1940 was planned from a secret command centre inside tunnels in the
cliffs at Dover. This action - known as Operation Dynamo - rescued 338,000 soldiers.
If these soldiers had been killed or captured by the German soldiers, it could
have changed the outcome of the Second World War.

Visitors to Dover Castle can visit the secret wartime tunnels, where an audio
guide (in English only) brings to life what it was like there during World War
Two.

Below is the chorus from the song "White Cliffs of Dover", which became
famous during World War Two. Pilots flying to Germany from the airfields in south
England would know that they had made it home safely when they saw the white cliffs
of Dover, so this sight had a special significance at this time. Several different
singers produced versions of this song, but the one by Vera Lynn is best-known
in Britain. The words of the chorus are as follows:

There'll be blue birds over
The white cliffs of Dover,
Tomorrow, just you wait and see.
There'll be love and laughter
And peace ever after
Tomorrow, when the world is free.

Dunkirk
[1958] (video)
(film based on the evacuation from Dunkirk)
Date: June 2001

Dover is an important port town. In particular, there is a frequent ferry service
from here to Calais in northern France: the crossing takes about 1 hour 15 minutes.
On a clear day it is possible to see Calais from Dover.

* Transportation
- On fast train services, trains to Dover Priory station from London take about
1 hour 50 minutes. You can travel either from Victoria station or from Charing
Cross (services are usually about every 30 minutes). For train timetables and
to buy a ticket online, see: Shop/Company/TheTrainline.
During the morning and afternoon there is a bus service every 20 minutes to take
you from the station to the ferry port (there is a small charge). You need to
arrive at the passenger terminal at least 30 minutes before your ferry leaves.
- It takes about 2 hours 30 minutes to travel by coach from Victoria Coach Station
in London to Dover (some services will take you directly to the ferry port or
hoverport). For timetables and to buy a ticket online, see: Shop/Company/NationalExpress.
It is also possible to buy coach tickets from London to destinations in Europe.
See: Shop/Company/Eurolines.
- For Dover ferry port information, see: http://www.doverport.co.uk
Note that foot passengers cannot board ferries at Dover between 8:30pm and 6am
each day.

Lonely Planet verdict: Dover Castle
"Impregnable Dover Castle is one of the most impressive in Britain,
a mighty fortress commanding a superb view of the Channel and the town
below ... Although the keep and its audiovisual display is mightily impressive,
it is the series of secret wartime tunnels dug under the castle that are
the most interesting attraction here"
(extracts from "Lonely Planet Great Britain - 2003 edition",
used with permission)